(Okay, okay, okay. It has been God knows how long since I last updated this story, but I've got good news: I'M BACK IN ACTION BABY! For those of you who have commented and waited patiently for this story to continue, please accept my most humblest and heartfelt apology. My life has been very chaotic the last few years, and it's messed with my head in a bad way. However, I couldn't stay away knowing that this story was left unchecked for so long, so I'm gonna strive to get this story completed if it's the last thing I do! So, it's time to get my ass into gear and GET MY GAME ON!)
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Yusei POV

"...not in favour of sending any of this Academy's students into a war, however I must admit that the potential that all our other students would be able to learn Fusion Summoning this advanced so early in their curriculum is phenomenally high, especially if you're the one who would be teaching them," Shepherd finished speaking, leaning back in his chair as he pondered Jaden's request.

Barely a day had gone by since we docked at Duel Academy. The team consisting of Alexis, Jaden, Syrus, Aster and I had arrived in our newly gained submarine—curtesy of one over-ambitious Admiral—to the surprise and relief of many of the students still at the Academy. News had spread like wildfire about the attack on the KaibaDome and as a direct result of that ruthless attack, Duel Academy had been put on high alert.

Jaden had waited several hours while he unpacked all his stuff before he, Alexis and I visited Shepherd in his main office, which was huge and a little too spacious in my view of offices. That was when Jaden presented his idea to teach others in how to Fusion Summon his way, so that they could be prepared for the looming threat of Nightshroud and Sartorius.

How ironic that he would even think of teaching at a time like this, considering the fact that he usually falls asleep during class.

"Believe me Chancellor," Jaden said, looking more tired than anything. Ever since Aster proposed that Jaden should teach the other students, the Slifer King had been worrying non-stop. "I don't like the idea of anyone being sent into a war zone. But the threat is that dangerous. Truthfully, everyone here on this island is in danger of crossing and facing Sartorius, and there is every possibility that he will target this place. If there's even a small chance that I can be able to teach the others on what I can do, then I'll take it. That way, they'd be prepared for that danger."

"Jaden's right," Alexis interjected, leaning forward in her seat as she turned to the Chancellor. "You didn't see the damage Sartorius had done. A lot of people have already lost their lives to that maniac, and he's bound to make a play on Duel Academy in the future. We don't have a clue as to when that happens but he will strike at us when the time comes, and with everything he's got."

"It's just as Jaden said: at least the students of this Academy would be sufficiently trained in the amount of time that we've got," I added in, making everyone look at me. "And who better to train them than duellists who've seen firsthand what we're up against?"

Shepherd closed his eyes as he rested his chin on his closed hands, thinking long and hard on what had been said.

He eventually sighed, sitting upright in his chair. "All three of you make very valid points, and yes it would be beneficial that the students of Duel Academy would be trained by those who have had first hand experience dealing with this foe."

"I second that motion, Chancellor."

All of us turned around to see Dr. Crowler limping into the Chancellors office, leaning on his walking stick as he came to a stop in front of Jaden, who stood up and stretched his hand out.

"Glad to see you back on your feet, Teach," Jaden smiled.

Crowler shook Jaden's hand with a smile of his own. "It will take more than Nightshroud torturing me to make me stop guarding this school. And as long as my Ancient Gears and I are able-bodied and operational, we'll be giving our enemy a jolly good show!"

He turned to Shepherd. "I can vouch for Jaden and his friends to teach the others. After all, they are not just among our most gifted students but also the strongest duellists that Duel Academy has ever seen. They are more than capable in showing their fellow students a thing or two."

Shepherd nodded in understanding, before turning to Jaden. "Alright then, you have my seal of approval. Please ensure that your classmates are trained well."

Jaden bowed, with me and Alexis following suit. "Thank you, Shepherd. We won't let you down."
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Alexis POV

"They actually allowed you to teach?"

The person who was speaking was Chazz, who's face was looking at us through the monitor screen on the wall. We had broken the news to him and the others that Jaden's request to teach was accepted, and while Chazz was impressed that Jaden would finally be showing us the Fusion Solution, he was still livid.

"Aw man, so while I'm stuck here in Domino City helping Atticus and Yugi patrol the entire place, all the real action is on Academy Island?" he fumed, his face right up at the screen.

Jaden looked sheepish at Chazz's reaction, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry you missed out, Chazz."

Chazz glared at Jaden, but eventually cooled down. "I swear Slacker, you sure know how to stir things up whenever I'm not around. You better pray that you're a good teacher, otherwise every single one of us is screwed."

"Yeah, I hope so too," Jaden muttered, before straightening up. "How are things back in Domino? Any news on Sartorius' whereabouts?"

Chazz looked at something out of the view of the screen, before looking back at us. "Well, the KaibaPlant managed to get the city up and running again, and security has been upped like crazy. Everyone is keeping an eye out for Sartorius, but his location is completely off the grid. Not even Kaiba's city-wide network of security cameras can track him."

I leaned forward on my seat. "Do you have an inkling as to where he could be?"

Chazz shrugged. "I don't. This is a completely new chain of events, so Sartorius could be anywhere. He'll stay low for a short while, in which time he'll be gathering his forces." He then grimaced. "The thought of him and Nightshroud working together still freaks me out."

"Welcome to the club," I sighed.

Jaden grimaced as well. "Either way, we've gotta be on our toes. Who knows what else Nightshroud might throw at us?"

Chazz shrugged, leaning back on his chair. He then decided to changed the subject by giving us some good news. "Well, at least the whole gang will be together soon. Atticus, Yugi and I will be coming to Duel Academy in a few days, possibly a week. I also managed to get in contact with Zane, so expect to see him very soon."

I internally groaned. Did I say good news? What I should've said was annoying news.

Ever since he found out that Jaden and I became a couple and had slept together, Atticus had been a fuming mess. He was on board with me and Jaden being a couple, but not to the extent that we would take it to that particular level. The constant bombardment of his messages on my phone about mine and Jaden's actions were proof of his indignation.

And from the newly formed bond we shared together, I could tell that Jaden felt the same way about Atticus.

"That's... awesome news, Chazz," Jaden said with a forced smile. "Maybe you could help out with training?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Chazz replied, before looking at his watch. His eyes widened. "Jeez, is that the time? Sorry guys, gotta get going otherwise I'll miss what Atticus has to report. See ya'."

The screen went dark, leaving me and Jaden alone.

Jaden leaned back in his seat, running both his hands through his hair in exhaustion. "Great, just what we need: an angry Atticus to constantly hound us."

I tried for a smile before going over to sit on the arm of Jaden's chair, ruffling his hair. "Well, put it this way—at least our lives won't be dull in that regard."

Jaden gave me a small smile, patting my knee. "No, it won't."

I then gave him a cheeky smile, before sitting on his lap facing him, both my legs on either side of his waist. "Well, the way I see it, we've got some time before we need to even think about starting the class."

Jaden blinked before giving me his most trademark smirk, grabbing my hips and bringing me closer to him. "It's like you could read my mind."

"Oh, shut up and come here," I playfully said, before wrapping my arms around his neck and slamming my lips against his, refusing to let go.

Jaden shifted his hands so I had one on my back and the other just above my butt. Once again, the sensation of being held by my boyfriend sent euphoria through my system. My hands ran through his hair as I breathed in its scent: the smell of early morning coffee.

I could've stayed like this for the rest of the day, and not worry about anything. Just me and Jaden, with no distractions to get in the way.

So why the hell did I have to jinx it?!

The door to the Slifer Red Dorm knocked loudly and for some unknown reason, there was a lot of ruckus on the other side. Jaden and I had just enough time to jump apart as Syrus quickly opened the door and slammed it shut, but not before I caught sight of so many students that tried to get through as well.

Syrus braced himself against the door, looking mildly panicked. "Jaden, you may've bitten off more than you could chew."

Jaden blinked, before giving a confused smile. "Well, my appetite has always been big, so I'm not so worried."

"That's not what I—!" Syrus yelped before exhaling loudly. "Word got out that you were going to teach Advanced Fusion classes. We've got a backlog of students outside the Slifer Dorm demanding to see you right now!"

"What?" I turned to Jaden in shock. "How on earth did they get the news? We haven't even gone public with that yet. We were gonna release the news in the morning."

Jaden looked at the floor trying to think, before sighing in annoyance. "Aster."

I stared at him. "Aster told them?"

"He must've jumped the gun and told everyone," Jaden explained, throwing his arms up indignantly. "I swear, that guy is so insistent that I train and teach him."

He stood up and grabbed his jacket, putting it on before collecting his duel disk and slapping it on. "Well, let's go greet our students." He stopped in his tracks, his shoulders slumping. "This better not make me sound like an old man."

I giggled at his comment, before taking his hand and walking towards the door, bracing ourselves for the hailstorm that awaited us.

We opened the door, and was immediately swamped by the amount of students who were still around. They continuously fired questions at us, but I was more astounded by the fact that there were so many students who were present. The majority of them were Slifer Red's, however I saw an equal amount of Ra Yellow's mixed in with them. I even saw a few stray first year Obelisks as well, though they seemed to be uncomfortable with the fact that they were standing in the Slifer Red dorm.

"Are you really teaching us?!"

"Holy crap! The Academy's Top Student teaching us Advanced Fusion?! This is awesome!"

"When do we start?!"

"Alright, alright, ALRIGHT!" Jaden said, grabbing the crowds attention as they all quieted down to listen to what the Slifer King had to say. "I know all of you have a lot of questions, so I'll just get straight to the point. After much consideration, and after the events at the KaibaDome, I've convinced Chancellor Shepherd to grant me permission in starting a class to teach you Advanced Fusion."

That got everyone cheering loudly, some of them punching the air in excitement. I was inwardly smiling at their level of enthusiasm, and from what I could feel from him, Jaden was doing the same thing although his happiness was laced with surprise at how many people were accepting of the idea of being taught.

"Whoever wants to sign up for these classes," Jaden continued, as he grabbed his data pad that was lying on the side of his desk and giving it to Syrus who took it without question, "please see to my friend Syrus. He will write down your name and your Student ID. Once sorted, I'll send an email over to you with a detailed schedule for when these classes start."

Everyone nodded in consent as Syrus handed the data pad to one of the student's, who wasted no time in typing down his name before passing it on to the next student.

Jaden turned to me, looking overwhelmed. "This is really happening. I'm actually gonna teach."

I patted his shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile. "You'll do great. And you won't be doing it alone. You've got me and Syrus to back you up."

Jaden nodded, and he was going to say something until one of the students interrupted.

"Are you really gonna be able to teach us anything?"

Jaden turned around to face the one who spoke with a raised eyebrow.

The one who spoke was a second year from Obelisk Blue, with black hair and a mean look. His hair was styled and was a rich bluish black. Behind his brown eyes, there lay a deep doubt for anyone in the room. And his whole demeanor suggested that he didn't want to be anywhere near the Slifer Dorm.

"Don't get me wrong, you're a tough duellist," he said, once he realized that he caught everyone's attention. "No doubt about that. And I've seen you in action more than enough times. I'm just seriously wondering why Chancellor Shepherd would allow a Slifer to teach."

"Zachary!" one of the other students hissed. "What are you doing?!"

Zachary... I heard about this student, even before in the original timeline. Even amongst Obelisk Blues, Zachary had a reputation for being obnoxiously rude and was always degrading the Slifer Reds at any given times. He was overly zealous about his position in Obelisk Blue, even to the point where it made Chazz's antics easy compared to Zachary.

"I'm just stating what everyone else would've thought," Zachary defended himself.

Jaden crossed his arms and walked forward, his steps echoing the room as he came to a stop in front of Zachary, who was rooted in his spot with a nervous look on his face.

"Zach," he began, "do you know why I'm Top Student here at Duel Academy? If not, then here's the answer: I've been duelling far longer than you can possibly imagine, before you even picked up a deck perhaps. I've been all over this world, and I saw some pretty crazy things. But I also learnt something very valuable about duelling."

Zachary held his breath before he popped the question, frowning as he did so. "And... what is it?"

Jaden cocked his head to one side, just as his duel disk spring to life.

"That's something you'll figure out," Jaden announced, before he got this sly smile on his face. "Since you're doubting that a so-called Slifer Slacker like myself could possibly teach anything to anyone here—especially to a Snobby Obelisk such as yourself—why don't I prove it to you in a duel?"

"Oooooooooh!" everyone in the room murmured out as they heard Jaden's roast, which left Zachary go red.

Zachary wouldn't have it, as he activated his duel disk. "Let's take this outside!"

Jaden smirked. "Thought you'd never ask."
============
Jaden POV

Well... Introduction to Advanced Fusion Summoning was going off to a flying start!

Note the sarcasm.

Everyone had rushed out to see my duel with Zachary, who was checking through his deck to make sure he had everything. I, on the other hand, didn't need to look at my deck. After all, I had tonnes of faith in my cards, and I had a sneaking feeling that I would need to bust out some of my best moves.

He doesn't seem like much, Haou stated as he appeared next to me in spirit form. He gazed at Zachary with a grimace. His ego is undoubtedly huge, so it would serve well for it to be knocked down a notch.

Haou, what have I always told you? I thought back to him. Never underestimate your opponent. You'll never know if and when they're full of surprises.

Other than a few that are okay in my book, Obelisk Blue doesn't usually show any honourable members. They are often too full of themselves, always believing that they are superior to others. And this Zachary is proving to be no different.

Then I guess it'll be my job to prove him wrong, I thought with finality.

We shall see... Haou said as he vanished from sight.

I looked back at Zachary. "Alright, before we get started with this duel, let me be very clear on something: I won't be just teaching you how to Fusion Summon in a more advanced way. I'll be assessing you as well. So try and take me by surprise if you can."

Zachary sneered. "I don't need a Slifer like you to judge my duelling skills! So stop your yammering and duel me already!"

I shrugged. "Well, if that's what floats your boat, so be it. Game on, Zach."

Jaden: 4000 LP
Zachary: 4000 LP

"I'll start this duel off," I announced, drawing my sixth card and adding it to my hand. I nodded when I saw my drawn card. "And I think I'll start by activating the Spell card Convert Contact. With this, by sending a Neo-Spacian from my hand and another Neo-Spacian from my deck, I get to draw two cards. And the two I'm discarding are my Flare Scarab and Grand Mole."

I drew my two cards, and nodded again. "Next up, I activate E-Emergency Call. This card allows me to add an Elemental HERO from my deck to my hand. So I'll add my old pal Elemental HERO Neos to my hand. However, he won't be staying around for long. Because I'm activating Polymerization!"

I showed the Spell card to everyone around me, getting their immediate attention.

"I fuse Elemental HERO Neos and Evil HERO Jester together!" I raised my hand up in the air, as my two monster merged into a swirling pool of colours. "When the skies darken and the hope is lost, there's only one hero for the task! I Fusion Summon! Rise on up, Elemental HERO Escuridao!"

The dark HERO emerged with his nightmarish wings spread out behind him, locking his gaze on Zachary who backed away from the sight of my monster.

(Elemental HERO Escuridao - 2500/2000)

"Escuridao gains one hundred attack points for every Elemental HERO that's chilling in my graveyard. And with Neos being the only one in my graveyard, that's an extra one hundred points added to Escuridao."

(Elemental HERO Escuridao - 2600/2000)

"And then to end my turn, I'll throw down a couple of face-downs. Your move," I declared to Zachary.

Zachary looked at Escuridao with a glare, before looking back at me. "I can see why you're this Academy's Top Student. Busting out a Fusion Monster on the first turn is no joke these days." He then broke out a very cruel smirk. "So I guess it falls to me to remind everyone here why only an Obelisk deserves to remain on top! I draw!"

He looked at his sixth card, before smirking even further. "I activate the Spell card Double Summon. With this handy Spell card, I can Normal Summon two times this turn. With that, I summon my Marauding Captain in attack mode!"

(Marauding Captain - 1200/400)

"When he's Normal Summoned to the field, I get to Special Summon a level four or lower monster from my hand. And who better to bring out than my Daybreaker!"

A shiny armoured knight with a red cape appeared on the field.

(Daybreaker - 1700/0000)

"And when Daybreaker is Special Summoned to the Field, I get to Special Summon another Daybreaker from my hand!"

Another red caped, shiny armoured monster appeared on the field.

(Daybreaker - 1700/0000)

I looked at his field, mildly surprised that he brought out three monsters all in one go. An impressive strategy if you wanted a strong defence or attack. However, there was something off about the way Zachary brought these monsters out. Individually, they wouldn't be able to beat Escuridao, who stood tall with twenty six hundred points.

Unless...

I feel it too, Yubel said as she appeared on my right. Something powerful is coming! Brace yourself!

"Thanks to Double Summon, I can conduct a second Normal Summon this turn," Zachary announced, looking smug as he picked out his fifth card. "And since this Warrior needs three monsters to activate its effect..."

My eyes widened. "Don't tell me you've—"

"Bingo!" Zachary exclaimed, as he sacrificed his three monsters. "By sacrificing my three monsters, I can Summon... the almighty... GILFORD THE LIGHTNING!"

The skies rumbled as lightning struck the field in front of Zachary and I. Before my very eyes in the crater of smoking rubble, perhaps one of Duel Monsters most powerful Warrior-Type monsters emerged with his massive lightning sword attached to his back. Gilford the Lightning had been unleashed.

(Gilford the Lightning - 2800/1400)

"WHOA!"

"Zachary has Gilford the Lightning on his team?!"

"Holy cow, that monster is awesome!"

A small part of me had to agree with them. After all, it's not everyday you get to see a legendary monster like this. Ever since Joey Wheeler unveiled it at Battle City all those years ago, duellists from all over the world had done everything they could to add such a card to their decks.

Yeah, and in case you haven't noticed, this boy has just unleashed it on you, Yubel chided. Get your head in the game!

Zachary pointed at me. "And we all know about Gilford the Lightning's special ability now, don't we? When he's called out using three monsters as tributes, he can wipe out every single monster on your field! Your Escuridao will be nothing more than a scorch mark by the time Gilford is done with him!"

"If his ability can take Escuridao down that is," I interrupted, removing a card in my graveyard and showing it to Zachary. "I remove Evil HERO Jester in my graveyard from play to activate his effect: all my DARK attribute monsters on the field can't be destroyed by card effects this turn."

Zachary growled in response. "Well then, if that won't work, then maybe Gilfords twenty eight hundred points will do the trick! Lightning Sword Strike!"

Gilford raised his sword before thrusting it towards Escuridao, sending a lightning bolt directly at my HERO and causing it to explode from impact.

Jaden: 3800 LP
Zachary: 4000 LP

I smiled. "Thanks for that Zach. By destroying one of my monsters, I get to activate my Hero Signal trap card!"

My trap activated, sending the lit-up 'H' into the sky, which caused everyone to look in its direction.

"When a monster on my Field is destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon a HERO monster that's level four or lower from my deck," I explained, looking through my deck before picking one. "And I think I'll bring out everyone's favourite golden boy: Elemental HERO Sparkman!"

Sparkman appeared in a shower of sparks.

(Elemental HERO Sparkman - 1600/1400)

Zachary scoffed. "So you've brought out another HERO. Big deal. He's got nothing against Gilford." He looked at the last card in his hand. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn. I draw!" I looked at my card, and smiled. I then drew my attention to the crowd of students. "First lesson when it comes to monsters from the Extra Deck: there's more than one way to bring them out. You don't have to solely rely on Polymerization to help you out all the time, which I'm pretty sure that most of you do when it comes to Fusion Summoning. So allow me to show you another method. I activate my facedown Trap: Metaverse. This very handy Trap card allows me to add or activate a Field Spell directly from my deck. So allow me to bring you to my world; in other words, Neo Space!"

The rainbow hued dome of Neo Space enveloped everything around all of us. As I looked back, I noticed Alexis giving me a knowing look, as she realised what I was planning.

I selected another card in my hand. "Then I'll activate O-Oversoul! With this Spell card, I can Special Summon a Normal-Type HERO monster from my graveyard. Neo Space has a brand new hero, and his name is Elemental HERO Neos!"

Neos appeared on the scene, punching the air above him as he did so.

(Elemental HERO Neos - 2500/2000)

Everyone cheered at that, whilst Zack stepped back nervously.

"Dang it, I forgot Neos was in your graveyard," he muttered.

"Well, you'll soon figure out that when Neos is out on the field, he's gonna make damn sure you feel the heat." I looked at the last card in my hand, before playing it. "And speaking of heat, I activate Miracle Contact!"

"Oh no!" Zachary exclaimed in panic.

"Judging by that reaction, you know what this does," I said. "This card allows me to perform what's known as a Contact Fusion. This form of Fusion Summoning doesn't require me to use Polymerization, as Neos and his Neo-Spacian buddies have the unique ability to combine with one another, giving Neos not only a new look but a brand new ability altogether."

A whirlpool of Neo-Spacian energy appeared in the sky, as I chose my selected monsters. "So now by the effect of Miracle Contact, I send Elemental HERO Neos from my field and Neo-Spacians Flare Scarab and Grand Mole from my graveyard back to my deck. With that, it's time for a Triple Contact Fusion!"

My three monsters flew into the whirlpool of energy, as a blinding white light enveloped the field.

"Hero from the deepest depths of Neo Space! Let your molten rage EXPLODE! I Contact Fusion Summon! Turn up the heat, Elemental HERO Magma Neos!"

A comet from the light crashed into the field in front of me. As the dust cleared, my toughest Triple Contact Fusion monster emerged as mighty as ever.

(Elemental HERO Magma Neos - 3000/2500)

"Aw man, I am so screwed," Zachary said in a scared tone.

"Considering that Magma Neos gains four hundred attack points for every card on the field..." I began.

(Elemental HERO Magma Neos - 4600/2500)

"... and the fact that he gains an extra five hundred points thanks to the effect of Neo Space, I'd have to agree with the fact that... Yeah, you're screwed."

(Elemental HERO Magma Neos - 5100/2500)

"Magma Neos, attack Gilford the Lightning!" I punched my fist in the direction of Zachary's monster. "Go! Meteor Meltdown!"

Magma Neos sent a gargantuan sphere of super heated lava directly at Gilford, who howled before exploding from the impact. Zachary grunted as the flames locked his body, his Life Point reader beeping wildly as his points went down.

Jaden: 3800 LP
Zachary: 1700 LP

Zachary growled. "I activate my Trap: Warriors Decree! Since a Warrior-Type monster on my field was destroyed, I can send three Warrior-Type monsters in my graveyard back to my deck and draw three cards!"

"Sparkman, attack Zachary directly!" I shouted. "Static Shockwave!"

"AAAAHHHH!" the Obelisk Blue cried at as he was electrocuted on the spot.

Jaden: 3800 LP
Zachary: 100 LP

I crossed my arms, looking at Zachary who had fallen to his knees. His neatly tidied and styled hair was sticking up and was all over the place, like he had Einstein hair.

"Now are you convinced that I can teach something, Zach?" I asked him. "While I may be a Slifer Red duellist, it doesn't stop me from giving some pointers in the right direction. And there's more to duelling than what rank you are. So what if I am a Slifer Red? Doesn't make me weak; doesn't make me stand out like a sore thumb; and it certainly doesn't make me inferior to you."

Zachary shakily stood up, rubbing off the dirt on his coat. He then looked back at me with a grudging respect.

"Well, you certainly proved that," he said, looking back at the cards in his hand with a grimace. By the looks of, his hand didn't look too good. "So I guess it's my turn to turn the tables, since I'm assuming that you've ended your turn?"

I nodded in acceptance. "Yes, my turn ends. But you'll still have to contend with my HERO's who have more than enough points to wipe you out, especially Magma Neos who remains the strongest monster in play."

(Elemental HERO Magma Neos - 4300/2500)

"Try and get through him and my Sparkman," I finished, still having my arms crossed over my chest and awaiting my opponents next move. "If you can that is."
===============
Syrus POV

"Man, Jaden sure isn't messing around," Aster said, who got my attention as he came to my side.

I was standing to the side watching Jaden and Zachary's duel, feeling amazed as usual at Jaden's ability to turn the tide in any duel when he plays one of his Neos fusion monsters. So I was slightly surprised that Aster had come over to the Slifer Dorm when I was under the impression that he had his own room at Obelisk Blue.

"Well, what did you expect?" I scoffed, turning my attention back to the duel. "You know what Jaden is like: instead of speaking or writing things down, he takes more of a practical approach."

Aster barked out a laugh. "Ain't that the truth?"

"My turn!" Zachary exclaimed, as the duel continued. Zachary looked at his drawn card, nodding to himself. "I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards from my deck."

After inspecting his drawn cards, Zachary got a mad glint in his eyes. He looked back up at Jaden. "Your Miracle Contact is a powerful fusion spell, I'll give you that. But it's like you said: there's more than one way to summon a fusion monster. And here's another example: the Quick-Play Spell Ignite the Flame!"

"Ignite the Flame?" Jaden inquired. "What does that do?"

Zachary glared at Jaden. "You told me to take you by surprise, and that's exactly what I intend to do, whilst also taking your oversized lava brain down! Ignite the Flame allows me to send Flame Manipulator from my hand and Masaki the Legendary Swordsman from my deck to the graveyard, which allows me to Fusion Summon THIS!"

He slammed a card onto his duel disk, and a column of flames erupted from the ground, making some of the students gasp.

"Meet the Flame Swordsman!" Zachary shouted.

Another legendary Warrior-Type monster appeared in front of Jaden, swinging his flame infused sword before levelling it in Jaden's direction.

(Flame Swordsman - 1800/1600)

I frowned in confusion. "Another one of Joey Wheeler's cards..."

Aster grunted in slight admiration. "Well, looks like this guy isn't going down without a fight."

Even some of the other students were looking back and forth between Flame Swordsman and Magma Neos. Given that it was the stronger monster on the field, Magma Neos easily outmatched Flame Swordsman.

Jaden looked at Zachary, before nodding his head in approval. He clapped his hands in approval. "Well, looks to me like you've found a way to call out a fusion monster without Polymerization. Awesome work, Zach."

That comment didn't sit well with Zachary, who growled in frustration.

"It's Zachary!" he snapped. "Not Zach!"

Jaden blinked, before holding up a placating hand. "Bro, chill. Learn to take a compliment."

"I don't need any of your compliments," Zachary snapped again, picking up another card from his hand. "I activate Monster Reborn! And with it, I'm gonna call back an old friend: my Gilford the Lightning!"

Gilford the Lightning appeared on the field again, crossing his arms as he looked at Jaden's monsters.

(Gilford the Lightning - 2800/1400)

Jaden looked at both of Zachary's monsters, frowning in confusion. "It's great and all bringing out two powerful monsters, but they won't be able to cause me much damage. Sure, either of them would take Sparkman out, but Magma Neos would remain unscathed. It's far too powerful for either of them to beat."

Zachary held up another card, waving it back and forth. "Well, it's a good thing that I ain't gonna battle it. Don't get me wrong, it needs to go. But I've got another way of taking both your monsters out in one fell-swoop."

He turned the card around, showing everyone a very familiar Spell card. "And with the magic of Polymerization, I'm about to show you how I intend to do just that."

I blinked in shock. "No way, he's not doing what I think he's doing is he?!"

"We're about to find out!" Aster exclaimed.

Both Gilford the Lightning and Flame Swordsman were sucked into a swirling vortex of fire and electricity, so much so that it generated a small fiery tornado that crackled.

Zachary held both his arms out as the wind blew the hem of his jacket upwards. "I merge two of the greatest Warrior's in existence together! And with both their combined powers, I'm about to bring the storm to the field! I Fusion Summon! Level Nine! The warrior whose blades ignite the skies!"

A huge column of fire blasted onto the field, generating enough heat to burn away the hair in my arms. And as I looked closely, a shadowy figure was clearly seen standing in the flames.

"Meet my strongest monster: GILFORD THE FIRESTORM SWORDSMAN!" Zachary roared, the sound echoing through the air.

The newest version of Gilford emerged, carrying two massive flame covered dual swords that crackled with live electricity. His armor was a deep midnight blue, while his cape; waist belt; and helmet were a rich crimson red. From head to toe, he had an aura of intense heat, making it very clear that he was ready for action.

(Gilford the Firestorm Swordsman - 3200/2500)

Everyone stared in shock and awe at the sight of the new monster, including me and Aster. Who would've thought that two of the greatest Warrior-Type monsters could merge together to form one mega Warrior? And with that many attack points, it was gonna be tough to deal with.

And from the looks of things, Jaden figured it out as well as he took a defensive stance.

"Now that my Firestorm Swordsman is on the field, this duel is one step closer to being over," Zachary announced, pointing a finger at Jaden. "When Gilford the Firestorm Swordsman is Fusion Summoned, every monster on your side of the field is instantly INCINERATED!"

Even that made Jaden's eyes widen in surprise. "Say what?!"

Gilford the Firestorm Swordsman lifted his one of those heavy swords, before stabbing it into the ground with a thunderous roar of effort. The ground rumbled, before a massive plume of swirling flames engulfed Magma Neos and Sparkman, causing both monsters to cry out before being blasted into cinders.

"And since that was just an effect, it means that I've still got my attack to come!" Zachary triumphantly shouted, punching his fist in Jaden's direction. "Gilford, attack that Slifer Chump head on with Pyro Blade Slash!"

Gilford yanked both his swords out of the ground, and swiped it in a wide arc which in effect caused a massive slash of flames to blast towards Jaden, who raised his duel disk to block the attack. The arc of flames collided into Jaden, blasting him off his feet as he sailed several meters backwards. He landed with a massive grunt of pain, which was drowned out by his rapidly decreasing Life Points.

Jaden: 600 LP
Zachary: 100 LP

Everyone gasped as they witnessed Jaden get absolutely wrecked by one single attack. As it stood, Jaden got to one knee as his jacket smoked from the flame induced strike. He looked up at Zachary, who had such a triumphant look on his face.

"So... when you said you had doubts about me teaching Advanced Fusion..." Jaden panted.

Zachary gave Jaden a crazed smirk. "That's right. It's because I already know Advanced Fusion. And I don't need any Red teaching me what I already know. No one does. I'm an Obelisk Blue, and I intend to stay at the very top. I refuse to have a Slifer Red like you be the Top Ranked Duelist here at Duel Academy. That title is reserved for real Champs, not to losers like YOU."

That was the last straw for me. This guy had been nothing but rude and contemptuous towards Jaden and all the Red's, and that included me.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" I yelled at the Obelisk Student.

Zachary snapped his head in my direction, looking surprised that I spoke up out of nowhere.

"You listen right here," I snapped at him, causing every one of the other students to look in my direction. "I get that we Slifer Red's aren't as adept at dueling like those in Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue, but we got something that keeps us going: determination, spirit and heart. We don't give up without a FIGHT! We're fighters to the very end, and all of us have the capability of showing everyone else what we've got!"

I pointed at Jaden, who watched me out of the corner of his eye. "And Jaden is not just any Slifer Red. He's the Slifer King, and for good reason! He's the toughest of all of us, equal to the King of Games himself in terms of skill and faith! And once he taps into his decks real power, he's gonna show you how he got his title!"

Everyone single Slifer Red cheered at my speech, while several Ra Yellow's clapped in appreciation. I blushed at their praise. I guess even after all this time being grown-up and brave, there were still moments when I felt extremely self-conscious and uncomfortable.

Jaden nodded his head my direction, getting up whilst wiping his jacket free of any dust or dirt. "Thanks for the shout out, Sy. You're proving to be a real duellist."

I gave a shy smile.

Jaden turned to face Zachary again, placing a finger on the top of his deck; poised and ready to draw. "Zachary, you keep preaching on about how tough Obelisk Blue's are. And you're right, a few of them are. Zane Truesdale, Chazz Princeton..." He turned his to face Alexis, smiling at her. "...even my beautiful girlfriend, Alexis Rhodes."

Alexis smiled back, although I could see her cheeks blush at the comment.

"But there are those in Obelisk Blue, such as yourself," Jaden continued, glaring at Zachary, "who give this Academy a bad name. Your hubris and arrogance is without a doubt the most appalling thing I've seen, and you constantly degrade anyone who you deem weak without ever getting to know them and their duelling prowess first. I stand as Top Student and Duellist of Duel Academy because I have respect for not only my deck, but all my fellow Academy Students."

He drew the top card of his deck, looked at it and nodded. "And you're gonna see exactly what me and my deck can do. Since you're the only one who's got a monster out on the field, I can Special Summon this chick: Evil HERO Infernia!"

The female version of Haou's Infernal Gainer appeared on the field, her sharp claws brandished and her massive scaly whip-like hair curling around her legs.

(Evil HERO Infernia - 1200/900)

"And when she's summoned this way, and if I have no other cards in my hand, then I get to draw two cards from my deck," Jaden stated, drawing his two cards.

Zachary scoffed. "Like that's gonna do anything." He then looked at the two cards in Jaden's hand, giving them a cautious look. "But knowing you and your HERO deck, I'm not gonna chance it. So I'll activate my Firestorm Swordsman's ability: by discarding a Warrior-Type monster from my hand, I can remove one monster on your side of the field from play until this turns End Phase."

Infernia disappeared from the field, closing her eyes as she did so. However, as she vanished, a cloud of golden atoms were left floating in her place.

Even Zachary was confused by the sight. "What the—?"

"Thanks for that, Zach," Jaden smirked, raising his duel disk as the golden dust cloud shot towards his deck, slamming into it which in turn made the deck glow a brilliant white.

"When Evil HERO Infernia is destroyed during the Battle Phase, or removed from play by a card effect, she grants me the ability to draw one card from my deck," Jaden announced. "And something tells me that this card will be the one to finish this duel."

He drew his card with a defiant yell, and I swear it was like hearing a sword being drawn from a scabbard. Jaden looked at the glowing card, and his eyes popped open in amazement as he chuckled in excitement.

"Aww YEAH! Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed, holding up his card to show to everyone. "Lesson number two: you and your deck are one in the same. When you have total faith in your deck, it will ALWAYS aid you even in the most toughest of situations. And this card will prove it; my newest Fusion Spell card!"

That made everyone gasp as they heard Jaden say this, but their shock was replaced by sheer excitement. Even I felt my own excitement levels increase by Jaden's announcement, because whenever he found a new power or ability it always turned out to be a major game changer.

Zachary backed away nervously. "A new Fusion Spell card? No, you're bluffing. You've gotta be!"

Jaden smirked, showing everyone his new card. "Does this look like I'm bluffing? I activate the Spell card: Neos Fusion!"

The image showed both Neos and Aqua Dolphin flying through a tunnel of multi-coloured lights, both monsters enveloped by an aura of light.

"With this, I can Special Summon a fusion monster from my Extra Deck that lists Neos as a material," Jaden explained. "All I've gotta do is send him and one other fusion material from either my hand, deck or field to the graveyard, and that'll be game over for you!"

The two remaining cards in his hand floated out between his fingers, as they both vanished into a column of light. As they did, the astral projections of Elemental HERO Neos and Winged Kuriboh appeared for a brief moment, before they both collided into each other.

Jaden raised his duelling arm into the air. "Neos! Take on the fighting spirit of your fellow HERO's and Neo-Spacian friends! Let their courage envelop your soul! I Fusion Summon! Come on out and fight, Elemental HERO Brave Neos!"

Jaden's brand new HERO appeared in a flash of stardust, pumping his fist into the air. The spikes on his elbows were more defined; he had more colour on his entire body; and he had two long hoops on his shoulders. At first appearance, this mighty looking HERO looked like he was prepared for battle.

(Elemental HERO Brave Neos - 2500/2000)

"WHOOO!" I cheered loudly, jumping up as I saw this brand new monster. I could feel it even from a distance—the immense feeling of determination and courage radiating off of Brave Neos, filling every fibre of my being with a feeling I so rarely felt in duels. It was as if Jaden had poured his own determination and courageous spirit inside this new HERO.

Zachary looked at Brave Neos in shock, but despite the fact that he was sweating he scoffed. "Heh, what good can that guy do? He's seven hundred attack points weaker than my Gilford; he's got no chance."

Jaden smirked. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. Brave Neos is still a Neos fusion monster, so he gains the attack point power up from Neo Space."

(Elemental HERO Brave Neos - 3000/2000)

"And his special ability will seal the deal because for every HERO and Neo-Spacian just chilling back in the graveyard, Brave Neos gains an additional one hundred points! And if my math is correct, that's more than enough to really burn out your Firestorm Swordsman and your Life Points!"

Brave Neos clenched his fists, roaring up at the sky as his power increased even further.

(Elemental HERO Brave Neos - 3400/2000)

"NO!" Zachary yelled in panic, sweating in sheer fright as the clear indication that he was going to lose got to him. "This is impossible! This can't be! I can't lose to a Slifer Red!"

"You can and you will," Jaden said, before punching his right fist outwards towards Gilford the Firestorm Swordsman. "Brave Neos, ATTACK! Heroic Charge!"

Brave Neos shot forward like a bullet, both arms stretched out like an old fashioned superhero. Gilford raised his swords in a defensive manner, but that didn't stop Elemental HERO Brave Neos from smashing right through them and striking Gilford down with an explosive impact. Gilford the Firestorm Swordsman roared as he exploded into thousands of tiny particles, the shockwaves blasting Zachary back several meters.

Jaden: 600 LP
Zachary: 0 LP

Everyone whooped and cheered when Zachary collapsed on his back, just as Brave Neos returned to Jaden's side. Jaden looked up at Neos, before nodding his head in thanks. Brave Neos nodded back before vanishing into Jaden's deck.

Jaden, along with Alexis, walked up to Zachary, who wouldn't move from his spot on the ground. In fact, I could hear him mumble hysterically.

"I'm gonna get demoted in rank," he grumbled. "And after all the hard work I put into getting into Obelisk Blue... This is so humiliating."

"What's humiliating is the fact that you disgraced our house because of your over-zealous attitude," Alexis sternly said. "We don't need any of that from the likes of you anymore. We had enough of it from Chazz when he was just like you—an elitist snob who looked down on others."

(Somewhere back in Domino City, Chazz sneezed out the mouthful of coffee he was drinking, feeling like his nose was itching like crazy. "Aaah, why do I get the feeling that someone just made a snarky comment about me?")

Alexis then grabbed Jaden's hand, giving it a squeeze. "But after a certain Slifer King humbled him in their first duel against one another, he became one of our closest friends. Someone who now only looks down on some people, because he too knows what it's like to be at the very bottom and then work his way back to the top. So what if you do get demoted in ranking? All it does is give you the chance to work yourself back up."

Zachary sat up, staring at Alexis with a forlorn expression. He then sighed heavily. "Oh what's the point in even discussing it? I lost the duel, and knowing Crowler he's gonna make sure I'm demoted to Ra Yellow. I don't know if I can take that, after working so hard to get into Obelisk Blue. I built my deck up with so many powerful cards, and it still wasn't enough to defeat a pro like Jaden."

He got to his feet and started walking away. But before he could do much as make it two meters, Jaden spoke.

"And now you learn two valuable things about duelling," he said.

That got Zachary to turn around with a deep frown. "What, that losing sucks?"

Jaden smiled and shook his head. "No. The first is that a duel is not about how strong or skilled you are; it's about what sort of duelist you make yourself and how you treat your opponent. And second: Defeat isn't something to be afraid of, Zach. What matters most is if you can get up afterwards. Because if you can do that, then you can certainly keep improving yourself."

Jaden then turned his attention to the rest of the group, and I noticed that even the other Obelisk Blue's present listened intently. "My third lesson for today: Even if you guys aren't adept at Advanced Fusion, keep giving it a try anyway. The most important thing about these lessons is that you try your damn hardest. Now, I'm aware of the fact that many students here have come to call me a Slifer Slacker. But this is my class, and I can assure you that I will not be slacking off."

"Amen to that!" one of the Ra Yellows preached, followed by many other students currently present.

Jaden nodded, before turning back to Zachary and extended his hand and wrist out. Zachary paused for a moment, before grasping Jaden's wrist with a grateful look.

"Keep duelling Zachary," Jaden said. "And the invitation to join this class is still open whenever you feel free to join."

Zachary hesitated for a moment, before nodding silently and turning around to walk away.

I walked up to Jaden and Alexis, watching Zachary walk out of sight. "If he can just see that there's more to dueling than just having the highest rank, then he'd be a far better duelist."

Jaden nodded. "True. But maybe this will teach him that." He turned to the crowd of students, looking at them in confusion. "Why are you guys still here? Your first lesson starts tomorrow afternoon. Go get your decks organized for then!"

The students nodded in excitement, rushing off in their own separate ways. It just left me, Jaden, Alexis and Aster behind to discuss everything.

Today, Jaden showed everyone that he can and will teach everyone what he knows about Fusion Summoning. Tomorrow, the real teaching would begin in earnest.

Little did we know that our enemies were preparing also...
==============
Unknown POV

The mist nearly obscured everything in her sight, but with her heightened senses aiding her she didn't have see very far. The cave where her and her comrades were using as their secret base was ominous indeed, but that didn't bother her in the slightest as she was use to living in darker places that this.

She moved forward, the heels of her shoes clanking against the hard stone floor as she walked towards her destination: a high oaken gate that that led to the throne room of her master. She raised her hand, and clicked three times: the signal to open the doors and let her in.

With a loud groan as the wood moved, the doors to the throne room opened up as black smoke was bellowed out in waves. This did not deter her as she knew that it wouldn't harm her in the slightest. As she walked past the high doors, a low voice spoke out:

"Ah, so you have returned from your reconnaissance mission?"

The woman knelt down on one knee, her green hair obscuring her face from view. "Yes, my Lord Nightshroud."

The voice came from the top of the black throne that seated the towering skeletal god, Nightshroud. The dark deity regarded the woman in front of him, knowing full well that her skill set allowed her to go undetected by most people. However, he knew that without her skills he wouldn't have any information on what Jaden Yuki was up to.

"Very good... Lady Camula."

The woman looked up, her green her falling back behind her head, as her yellow eyes and red lips were revealed. She gave a small yet fanged smile as her Master praised her.

Camula the vampire, one of the Seven Shadow Riders and stealer of souls.

"Yuki has begun teaching the Academy's students on Fusion Summoning," she informed Nightsthoud, her Transylvanian accent thick as ever. "And many have signed up for his class, more than what was originally thought possible."

Nightshroud hummed at that, walking back and forth as he allowed this information to be processed in his mind... if there was in fact a mind inside a walking skeleton. This went on for several moments, before the dark god stopped, and gave his version of a smile.

"It seems to me that Jaden Yuki is attempting to build an army," he stated, as he laid out his theory, "to counteract our plans. And it is entirely possible that he will succeed in building this army. However, he overlooked one crucial factor in this scheme."

"And that is, my Lord?" Camula inquired.

"While he may have an army, we have one too," Nightshroud answered. "One that not only outnumbers his, but also heavily outmatches his. Trueman isn't my only foot soldier. My lieutenant, Sartorius, is mustering up his forces to aid us. And when our forces join together, no one—not even Jaden Yuki—will stop us."

He began chuckling, before it erupted into full blown maniacal laughter. One that reverberated off the walls of his throne room, and one that was heard from so very far away.